Ann M. McNamara
Ann M. McNamara, age 68, died peacefully on July 6, 2025 at SSM Health Hospice Home of Hope in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She was born October 28, 1956 in Fond du Lac to Patrick and Sylvia (Runge) McNamara.
Ann grew up in the village of Eden, Wisconsin, and held a lifelong appreciation for the strong sense of community there. As a girl, she was active in the local 4-H club and credits that experience with helping her develop her homemaking and public speaking skills. An animal lover through and through, she adopted several cats from her grandparents’ farm and remembered them fondly, especially her tabby named Tuffy. She attended St. Mary’s Springs High School, where she was a member of the student council, National Honor Society, Health Careers Club, and a features editor for the school newspaper, and graduated in 1974.
Her dedication to caring for others and her interest in medical science led her to Marian College in Fond du Lac, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree and became a registered nurse. Her career took her from hospital and nursing home settings to public health, and during her time at the Fond du Lac County Health Department, she found immense gratification in providing care to everyone from newborns to seniors.
Ann loved music of all kinds. Growing up in Eden, she participated in choirs and served as a church organist for a time, and throughout her life, she nearly always had music playing at home, from the Beatles to show tunes to big band jazz. Her children, nieces, and nephews could always count on her to be an enthusiastic supporter of their performances, whether a local Battle of the Bands or a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.
A talented baker, Ann had a knack for providing just the right sweet treat for any occasion, whether it was her mom’s cutout cookie recipes at Christmastime, mint-chocolate brownies for family gatherings, or peanut butter bars, just because. She inherited her dad’s green thumb, and the spring and summer months always brought a colorful variety of flowers to her yard, as well as fresh produce like cherry tomatoes. Following her retirement from the Public Health Department, Ann enjoyed spending time with friends and family, adventures with her golden retriever Rosie, and raising and releasing monarch butterflies.
Ann will be deeply missed by her daughter Laura (Plummer) Nielsen and son-in-law Chad Nielsen; her son Matthew Plummer and daughter-in-law Justine Miller; her granddaughter Elsa Nielsen; her brothers, Michael, Timothy, and Robert McNamara; and her sisters-in-law, Loula, Mary, and Deb McNamara; and many nieces, nephews, friends, and neighbors, as well as her former husband, Cort Plummer. Although they divorced in 2010, the two remained friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Ann’s family invites relatives and friends for a Celebration of Ann’s Life on Saturday, July 19th at 3:00 p.m. at Zacherl Funeral Home. A time of visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. until the time of services.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Friends of the Monarch Trail at themonarchtrail.org.